Mansfield 1-0 SwanseaWHAT'S happening to Swansea City? Twice in the last five days Kenny Jackett's side have had the chance to go top of League Two - and twice they've blown it.

Held to a 1-1 draw at home to Southend last Friday, the Swans missed another opportunity to steal a march on their automatic promotion rivals last night when they slumped to only their second defeat in 10 league matches.

To make matters worse, Swansea's discipline problems came back to haunt them when defender Garry Monk was sent off for the third time this season for two bookable offences.

Minutes after Monk's 63rd-minute dismissal for two late lunges on the same player, Mansfield were also reduced to 10 men when midfielder Simon Brown foolishly headbutted Andy Robinson as the match turned nasty.

With Scunthorpe having squandered their once-handsome lead at the top and Yeovil slipping up at the weekend, a draw would've been enough for Swansea to reach the League Two summit for the first time in three months. But Jackett's men simply couldn't muster a reply to a stunning goal on the stroke of half-time from former Rotherham striker Richie Barker.

Swansea had their chances, but it was a below-par performance from the Welsh side, who allowed Carlton Palmer's men to dominate the midfield and never looked entirely comfortable at the back.

In mitigation, Jackett might point to the fact his squad was stretched to its limits for this rearranged trip to Nottinghamshire.

Andy Gurney and goalkeeper Willy Gueret had joined the four other Swans players already on the treatment table after picking up knocks against Southend.

Gueret's absence meant Brian Murphy was drafted in for only his second league start of the season between the posts while club captain Roberto Martinez was restored to the centre of midfield.

With Sam Ricketts on Wales duty, Alan Tate came in at right-back, while Ijah Anderson was preferred in midfield to Brad Maylett, a move that saw Andy Robinson switch to the right.

There was a new face among the Swansea substitutes in the shape of striker Lee Thorpe. The 29-year-old is expected to join the Swans permanently on an 18-month deal from Bristol Rovers, but he signed an initial loan deal yesterday so he was eligible for last night's clash.

Jackett made a surprise swoop for Thorpe after having a #75,000 offer for Rochdale top-scorer Grant Holt rebuffed by the Lancashire club, while Jackett has been put off by the #150,000 price tag Wrexham have slapped on Welsh international Chris Llewellyn.

You can only wonder what kind of fee Swansea talisman Lee Trundle might command, the free-scoring striker proving his worth as early as the sixth minute last night when he threaded a great chance across goal for Paul Connor after some trademark trickery.

Connor could not quite get a toe to the ball and Mansfield were able to counter. Murphy was grateful to see a testing 20-yard drive from Tom Curtis whistle just past his right-hand post.

On 12 minutes Swansea got the ball into Kevin Pilkington's net when Robinson swung in a free-kick from the left and Kevin Austin powered a header home. But referee Paul Taylor ruled Austin had impeded his marker and the "goal" was disallowed.

Few clear-cut chances were being created by either side, Trundle missing the target when Leon Britton found him handily placed inside the Mansfield penalty area.

Robinson and Britton each blazed wide with long-range attempts, but Austin came much closer when he sent a back-header inches past Pilkington's goal from Britton's inviting cross.

Four minutes before the interval, Swansea had Murphy to thank when he dived low to his left to gather a fierce deflected shot from Adam Murray. The Swans defence had been guilty of backing off midfielder Simon Brown, who found space opening up for him on the edge of the box before passing to Murray.

That should've served as a warning to the Swans to tighten up at the back. But they again displayed far too much generosity in first-half stoppage time to enable Mansfield to score out of the blue.

Rundle had the freedom to scamper menacingly down the left before supplying a cross to the edge of the box, from where Barker produced a stunning right-foot finish that arrowed into the top corner with such a force that Murphy was powerless to keep it out.

It was no surprise, then, to see Mansfield start the second period with a flourish, Derek Asamoah having the confidence to try his luck with an overhead kick that flew just over the bar.

The Swans had their best chance when Trundle set Connor free on goal, but the former Rochdale man was pushed wide and his shot was easily gathered by Pilkington.

Trundle then tried to loft the ball over the Stags' keeper when he spotted him off his line, but the ball flew high of the target.

Swansea's cause was hampered when Monk, minutes after making a goal-saving tackle on Brown, saw red for two reckless fouls on the same player in as many minutes.

Jackett might have forgiven Monk the first yellow card as the offence occurred deep into Swansea territory, but not the second since it was an awful lunge right in front of the referee near the halfway line. But the numbers were evened up when tempers began to fray and Brown became the second player to see red.

After a scrappy passage of play, the game also evened up a little, Swansea introducing Thorpe for the ineffective Connor and Maylett for Anderson.

And in the final 10 minutes Swansea at last found some rhythm, but, with Maylett firing wide and Trundle aiming a free header straight at Pilkington, nothing went right in front of goal.

It had been a frenetic second half, but an evening Swansea will want to swiftly forget.